To Walk the Third Path
by Hryre
Summary: Two years after the closing of Kingdom Hearts, Sora is plauged by strange dreams. Everything seems to be coming apart at the seams, Ansem's alive, the barriers are down, and some new enemies have appeared, at least, he thinks's they're enemies.
1. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the video game(I wish), or the appearances of the five unknowns, but the personalities of Terra, Kevaul, Lycole, Caliga, and Lutian are mine.

_a/n: This was written before I knew that Riku was one the blindfolded unknown, so please don't berate me about that. After all, we love Caliga don't we? _

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_To Walk the Third Path__  
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_**Part One: Dreams  
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It was dark, very dark. The stars shone only dimly in the sky, there was no moon. Across a vast expanse of grass wound a small dirt road. There was a place where the road split, paths snaking off in all directions. At this crossroad a lone figure stood, staring wordlessly up at the sky. The weak light of the stars reflected in his bright blue eyes, he wore a blue, white, and black coat over a red body suit. At his side hung a chain of linked silver crowns, around his neck hung a larger crown on a chain. His spiky brown hair sprouted in all directions. He looked back at the crossroads wondering which he should take._

_He heard quiet footsteps behind him, on the road from which he had just come. He knew who it was and didn't bother turning. The being in the long black coat stopped behind him and murmured, "sooner or later everyone comes to this crossroad. For some the choice is easy, for others it is difficult. I have watched many come and go, none of their choices was as difficult to make as yours. You must make a choice whether it is the right one only you can say. But your choice will cost something very dear to you. A sacrifice everyone must make."_

_The boy closed his eyes, biting a lip. "Where do these paths lead? I can't see past the veil of the night." He asked. The figure walked right up to his side. _

_The phantom pointed to one of the three roads. "This path leads to darkness, and this one to light."_

_The boy took a step toward the path of light, before he stopped and turned to face the specter. "And the other?" he inquired._

_The phantom was silent for a moment. Choosing his words with care he replied. "That path leads to neither to light or to darkness, but both." The boy gave him a puzzled look, so the specter went on. "Long ago, before time itself was born. Light and darkness were one; they worked in harmony with each other. For without darkness there can be no light to brighten it. And without light there is no shadow. They were torn apart by a force of which I do not even know. But now the light has been imprisoned within the darkness._

"_There are three choices for you here. You fail and your heart is engulfed by darkness. You succeed in freeing the light and it annihilates darkness. Or…" he hesitated. "Or you do what before you have done and fight both for light and for darkness. Fight for the harmony of all worlds. Because long ago all worlds were one as well."_

_The figure fell silent and watched the boy. The path of light held his gaze, he looked down it for a long time. But then his eyes flashed, and he turned and walked down the path of both light and darkness._

_The specter watched him go, then reached up and slid his hood down. The face underneath was the same as the boy who was walking away. The boy turned and looked_

_at the unknown character, only to look into his own eyes. Yet not his own, a tiny smile crossed the boy's lips and he turned back and continued walking._

Sora's eyes snapped open and he sat up. Taking deep breaths as his heart rate returned to normal. Donald and Goofy were snoring near by; Sora watched them for a moment then got up. He padded quietly away from their chosen place to sleep, then sat down to think. The boy in the dream had been him, but it had been him two years ago. When he, Kairi, and Riku had first left the Destiny Isles. Riku and Kairi, Sora bit his lip. He wished he had someone to talk to, someone who could help him sort out the dreams. The dream had not been new to him; he'd had it before.

Sora reached over his shoulder and drew the Keyblade from midair. Its familiar weight seemed like nothing compared to the apprehension and worry he carried on his shoulders. It all had something to do with the Keyblade. He was just its wielder, no one particularly special. A greater lie Sora could not have told himself, but he did not know the half of who he really was.

As Sora stared at the Keyblade, glittering magnificently in the moonlight. He saw its shadow cast upon the grass. _Everything casts a shadow_ he thought _and everything has a light._ He knew suddenly why in the dream he had chosen the middle path. It was because of Riku and Kairi. Kairi had chosen clear and pure light, while Riku had chosen the shrouded and murky darkness. Sora wanted to save them both, so he took the path of both.

Sora stood then staring at the sky, the Keyblade gripped tightly in one hand. He willed the voice to speak to him, the voice that had guided him through his journey when he was fourteen. Sora was sixteen now, he Donald and Goofy had been searching for two years. Searching for the door, for King Mickey, for Riku. But they'd found nothing. Then he heard it, not heard, felt really. Felt it deep in the core of his heart, the voice came forth.

"Another side, another story. A fragmented tale, a world without you, the eyes will close. Behind the darkness, the door to the light. A world between, a forgotten world, the gathering. A creation, born of ignorance. The thirteenth order, the nonexistent"

It sounded merely like a jumble of information. Sora sighed sooner or later it would all fit into place. He knew that his adventure before had not been the end. No it was only the beginning. Quietly he walked back to Donald and Goofy who were still snoring. Sora smiled crookedly as he watched them, he was glad that he did not have to fight alone. He was glad they were there with him. Silently Sora lay back down and as he drifted off into sleep an idea came to him.

Riku staggered forward, his strength failing. "Sora…Kairi…I'm sorry." He stumbled falling to his knees. Riku looked up, "Is this…the world of death?" A thin aura of light surrounded him his form flickered in and out of focus. But then he snapped his head up eyes blazing, "I can't disappear yet. Not until I've met Sora and Kairi one last time." He forced himself to his feet, struggling to keep walking forward.

But then a voice floated out of the shadows. "Riku, can you hear me? I'll be there soon."

Riku whirled around, but there was nothing, just darkness. "Who's there?"

"I've been talking to you all along. By my words were hindered by the darkness covering your heart."

"…?" Riku didn't say anything. Though his mind was reeling with questions, perhaps this bodiless voice would explain itself.

"Another Keyblade, I've gotten another Keyblade for this side."

"I don't know who you are, but…what's happened to me?" Riku asked shakily not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Your heart overcame the darkness." The voice replied. "But you couldn't take back your body. So only your heart was left behind in this dark side where stolen hearts are gathered."

Riku wasn't sure this fate was any better than being dead. "What should I do?" he asked turning to face the path that lead out of the Abyss.

The other hesitated before answering. "The door of darkness that is soon going to appear... that door, through which we cannot pass... in order to close it, two keys and two hearts are needed. Perhaps you too, like me, come here for that purpose.  
Maybe it was fate.

"Fate... You know everything, don't you? If that's so, I want you to tell me one more thing... Are Sora and Kairi safe?

"You yourself should be able to feel their hearts."

Riku closed his eyes and looked deep inside himself. Digging through the deepest recesses of his heart. An image of Sora was conjured in his mind.

"How you perceive your friends... is dependent on your own heart." The voice spoke quietly.

Riku opened his eyes, he'd felt them, both of them. Riku smiled and the traces of pain withered away. "Thank you" he breathed and continued walking.

Kairi paused on the top of the hill, quietly she looked out across the village. And beyond to the small island a little ways off shore. A small breeze blew past her, making Kairi's long brown-red hair dance around her face. Without a thought she tucked the hair back behind her ear and kept walking.

She walked to the docks and two solitary boats drawn up on the shore caught her gaze. She felt a lump in her throat; they had been Sora's and Riku's. Kairi hurriedly swallowed the lump. She would not cry for them, because they were coming back. Kairi turned to her own boat and clambered into it. Silently she rowed out to the small island just off shore.

When she reached it Kairi got out of the boat and walked along the path by the pond. She pushed through the hanging ivy that hid a tunnel from view. From just inside the mouth of the cave, she picked up a practice sword sitting on a ledge. Shouldering the sword Kairi walked determinedly down the tunnel. She came out in the Secret Place, where there were drawings all over the walls. Her eyes were caught by two drawings, the two that she and Sora had made when they were just kids.

Kairi sighed and held out the practice sword, preparing for her drills. In front of her was the door that lead out of her world, the door that had started this all in the first place. Suddenly something glittered in front of her. Kairi looked curiously at it and bent to pick it up. Suddenly a great overwhelming sorrow seized her heart as she realized what it was. It was the small key chain she had given Sora for luck. Kairi's vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

She clutched the key chain to her heart and whispered. "Sora, will you ever come back?"

"I said I would didn't I?" Asked a voice behind her. Kairi whirled around, Sora was leaning casually against the wall."


	2. Awakening

**Part Two: Awakening**

"Sora!" Kairi cried and ran to him. Throwing her arms around her old friend's shoulders. He looked slightly taken aback, but then he hugged her too.

When Kairi drew away she was laughing and wiping happy tears from her eyes. Sora had only a half smile on his face and his eyes were darkened with worry. He was taller and wore different clothes than when they had parted last. But then she had grown too. But it was still his face, his eyes, and his smile.

"I thought I'd take a break from fighting." Sora said with a grin.

Kairi frowned. "I don't believe you," she breathed looking him in the eye. "If you just wanted a break. Sora if you could have come back anytime, in the past two years. Why didn't you?"

He sighed. "Because I couldn't come back anytime I wanted. Traveling between the worlds without a ship is only a skill I just discovered." He frowned suddenly and muttered, "Between worlds…could that be it?"

"What?" Kairi asked, confused.

Sora shook his head. "Never mind, anyway I came here because I needed to talk to someone who has known me for a long time and won't doubt what I say. Even if it sounds crazy."

Kairi looked at him. "It would be easier to give you my opinion if I knew exactly what you want tell me." She said pointedly.

Sora sighed again. "I…I've been dreaming." He said hesitantly. "Dreaming of a crossroads in the middle of nowhere. I heard the voice again too." He looked away from her.

"Let's go walk along the beach." She said avoiding commenting on what he'd said. Sora nodded and walked with her out of the cave. He paused at the mouth of the tunnel and looked at the door for a moment, then followed Kairi out. They'd been walking for a few minutes when Kairi said quietly, "I've been dreaming too."

Sora looked at her, surprised. "Really, about what?"

"It was a boy" Kairi said, "He looked like you only different. He was blond, but Sora he looked enough like you to be you brother!"

Sora wasn't sure how to react to the bit of news, so he said. "What else was there?"

"Well I saw him and three others sitting on a ledge of a high building in a city. Then I saw him running after silver creature. Then he was in this place of darkness, pillars and glass. He had to choose a weapon of three and give up another. He had to fight this huge creature. Then-what's the matter?" Sora had stopped he was staring at Kairi. His lips twitched then he laughed. "What's so funny?" Kairi demanded.

"I know that place." Sora said still grinning. "Though the heartless I fought were different from those you describe. I remember I vanquished the darkside then was swallowed by the darkness. I woke up here on the shore, and you were there. I tried to tell you about it but you smacked me and asked if I was still dreaming." He laughed harder apparently some great joke to him.

But it slightly horrified Kairi. "Sora" she breathed, "what is that place?"

"I believe it is the place of awakening where a Keyblade Wielder is taught what they need to know of fighting and the shape of their own heart. I don't know" he said and trudged on.

"What was your dream?" Kairi asked, catching up with him. He told her about the crossroads, the strange man in the black coat, and of what the voice had said.

Kairi nibbled a thumbnail. "You must have a choice coming, one that will cost you something."

Sora shook his head. "What choice doesn't cost you something? Every choice as a consequ-"

"Yo Sora! Where've you been?" a voice cried out. Kairi and Sora looked up to see Tidas and Wakaa running toward them. It had been Wakaa who had shouted.

"Hey Sora, do you feel lucky? How about a duel?" Tidas asked excitedly. Kairi had been about to protest, but Sora grinned.

"If you insist." He said with a shrug and pulled the Keyblade out from behind his shoulder. Something strange had risen in Sora's eyes. He seemed separate from the world around him, but one with the blade in his hand. Tidas gulped, Sora held the blade with an ease that he envied. Sora had obviously not been doing nothing in the two years he had been gone.

Sora lunged the Keyblade darting out in a quick attack. Tidas blocked it and sent his staff whirling through the air aiming and Sora's head. Sora ducked it easily, and darted in for a new attack. Before Tidas knew it his staff was torn from his hands by a vicious blow from the Keyblade. He stared wide-eyed and panting at Sora, who's breath had not even quickened. Victory glittered in Sora's eyes. He had become someone entirely different then when he had left two years before.

Suddenly Sora's head swiveled around, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the sky. "Oh no" he breathed. The others looked up. Streaks of light were falling from the sky. "I have to go, I have to get to Hollow Bastion." Sora said and took a firmer grip on the Keyblade.

"No" Kairi said grabbing his arm. Ignoring the puzzled looks on Tidas's and Wakaa's faces. "You only just got here, after two years Sora." Sora looked at her, and she saw fear in his gaze. Not once in the whole of the adventure before had he been afraid. Kairi dropped her hand still looking into her friend's eyes.

"You must understand something Kairi." Sora said quietly, "the battle with Ansem that restored the worlds, that was only the beginning. It's my battle and I have to fight it, because no one else can."

"But what if you don't come back?" Kairi squeaked, her eyes filling with tears.

Sora placed a gloved hand over her heart. "My voice is always with you, and you will hear it if you listen." He withdrew his hand. Sora leapt away from Kairi and whirled the Keyblade through the air. There was a flash of light and he was gone.

In the highest tower of Hollow Bastion there was a room above the chapel. A man dwelled here sitting in a high backed chair. He was wrapped from head to toe in red and black. Another man stood in the room swathed in a long black coat.

"It is not good to let them know of our plans, Ansem." The black coat was saying. He then turned and left the room.

Ansem stood his one visible eye gazing out the window. There were four of the Thirteenth Order he could feel slipping away. Slipping away from his power, he could not have that. Ansem turned to his table where two weapons sat. An evil grin twisted his face.

Sora landed hard on cold stone. Just from the feeling of it, He knew he was in Hollow Bastion. He was also aware of the weight on his back. "Guys?" Sora said dryly, "why does this seem familiar?" he asked Donald and Goofy, who were lying on top of him. Suddenly an all too familiar tingle ran down his Sora's back. "Heartless!" he shouted. Donald and Goofy jumped to attention. Sora scrambled to his feet, drawing the Keyblade as shadows rose out of the ground. Something else then caught his attention, a man wearing a full-length black coat standing on a ledge a ways away.

Sora ran forward knocking heartless away from him with wide sweeps of the Keyblade. He could here Donald and Goofy attacking heartless behind him but didn't really pay any mind to it. His focus was entirely on the black-cloaked figure. Sora leapt at the figure just as the man turned to face him, raising his hands to lower his hood.

Sora screeched to a halt. Falling backward and sitting down hard. Spiky blond hair fell into the deep blue eyes that gazed down at him. "Cloud?" Sora cried in surprise.


	3. Hollow Bastion

**Part Three: Hollow Bastion**

A gloved hand clamped over Sora's mouth. "Shhh" Cloud hissed. "You don't want the other guards to find you here." He uncovered Sora's mouth.

"What's going on? Are the others all right? I felt the…the barriers." Sora blurted.

But Cloud shook his head. "The others are fine, but we can't discuss it here. Everyone's in the lower levels of Hollow Bastion."

"And how do you suppose we get there?" Donald asked. He and Goofy had come to stand beside Sora. The heartless were nowhere in sight.

"We jump" Cloud said without humor.

"Of course" Sora said wryly getting to his feet. "We always got to do it the hard way."

Cloud smiled slightly then motioned to them and the four warriors ran to the edge and leapt into the open air. It didn't feel like they were falling, but the Rising Falls got closer every second. Suddenly shadow lanced across Sora's vision. He saw a city, dark with storm. Neon lights and signs flickered along the streets. The brightness of Hollow Bastion hit him once more as they fell past the doors to the Entrance Hall. Red lightning began flickering around Cloud. A single wing on his left shoulder unfolded and he grabbed Sora, Donald, and Goofy by the scruffs of their necks. He flapped his wing hard to slow them down and landed lightly under the lift stop. Cloud led them to the dungeon in the waterways next to the sliding gates. Yuffie, Leon, and Aerith looked up.

"Sora! What are you doing here?" Yuffie cried walking over to him, and gave him a friendly cuff on the head.

Rubbing the spot she had hit Sora said. "The barriers are down again. I felt them fall"

Aerith nodded. "We know, that's how Ansem came back."

Donald and Goofy made startled noises. "What? But he's gone!" Goofy cried.

"No" Sora said clenching his fists. "He's not gone, but it's worse than that. He was the one who brought the barriers down the first time, and he's done it again. But now he's trying to do something much worse." Sora closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "He's going to destroy the barriers between the other realms."

The others looked at him astonished. "How do you know that?" Yuffie asked quietly, her eyes wide.

"I've seen it in dreams." Sora replied gazing intently at her. "He's looking for the Paradise. But a veil of his own creation has been pulled down over his eyes. He can't see through the darkness of his own heart."

"What else have you seen in these dreams?" Cloud inquired.

"I know that there are at least two other realms apart from this one, the World of Light and the World of Darkness. But what they actually are I have no idea. But what's been happening here? I'm guessing you were spying, right Cloud." Cloud nodded as he shed the black coat, underneath it he wore is usual attire.

The residents of Hollow Bastion glanced at each other. "Ansem returned about a year and a half after you defeated him." Leon said darkly. "Only when he returned, he came with five beings that call themselves nobody. Who is nobody you ask? They are the nonexistent."

Sora's eyes widened. "The nonexistent? I've heard that before. What does it mean?"

Leon shrugged. "We think they are the third entity. We know of two already, the heart and the body. But there's a third one also and that's what the nonexistent are. They are without a heart or body, mere shells of the people they were. It was the only thing we could think of."

Sora nodded. "It makes sense." He murmured. "But there must be more than just the five he brought back." His voice trailed off.

Suddenly Cid burst into the room. "The nonexistent!" he gasped, "one of them is torturing the other four! At the Rising Falls!" Yuffie, Cloud, Leon, and Aerith exchanged looks of alarm. Something dragged at Sora's heart. He gasped in pain and doubled up for a brief moment. With a growl of rage he ran from the room. Goofy and Donald followed shouting at him to stop.

Sora did not bother taking the lift to the Rising Falls. He leapt into the air and glided down through the rising curtains of water. Then he saw it; one of five black-coated figures was standing over his fellows. Circles adorned with blades were held in his hands, the other four lay on the ground. One of their hoods had fallen back to reveal a blindfolded face under thick silver hair. For one terrorized moment Sora thought it was Riku but the face was not that of his friend's. The brief lack of concentration caused him to fall out of the air. He landed in a roll and came to a stand holding the Keyblade in front of the standing figure.

A malicious laugh came from beneath the hood. "Why do you defend them? What are they to you? They are those who have lost their hearts. Fallen to the darkness's sweet seduction."

Sora's eyes flashed and his grip on the Keyblade tightened. He knew that voice, if only in the back of his mind. "And how are you any different? If you are of the nonexistent as well."

"Oh but I am not of the nonexistent." He reached up with one hand and slid his hood down. He had bright red hair that flowed backward like a cone. His bright green eyes glittered with a fierce joy.

What that joy was Sora could not fathom, he didn't fathom. His mind was quickly closing on the battle that was coming. He could feel the tension humming in the air. "If you are not of the nonexistent, then who are you?"

"I? Don't you remember?" He asked with a grin, his eyes never once leaving Sora's. Out of the corner of his eye Sora saw Donald, Goofy, Leon, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie clambering down the rising ledges.

Sora's eyes widened. "Yes" he said quietly, "I remember." For he had remembered suddenly, the fight in the very heart of Hollow Bastion. "I won then I can win again."

"You place your skill too highly." Sneered the red-haired man. "For I am Kevaul of the Thirteenth Order, the nonexistent cannot lead an Order, they have only the power to follow. And this time you are alone. There is no help here."

Sora stared at him for a moment. Then a fierce, pure, light arose behind his eyes. Kevaul's grin vanished. "I am not alone" Sora growled, "she is always with me and I remember that." Light exploded out from under his hands. Beams streamed away from him, dancing across the Keyblade making it sparkle. Sora stood strait, his hair stirring in a wind that didn't exist.

Kevaul took a step back from him. But then a shaky grin returned to his face. Fire began to writhe and crackle along his body. He raised his rings, Sora raised the Keyblade. And they clashed. The fight moved so fast that no one could quite follow it. At last Kevual was thrown away from the battle to skid across the water. His rings went flying into the falls and his fires went out with a hiss of steam. Sora straitened, looking at his foe with disdain. Again his breath had not even quickened, his heart beat remained at the same even pace.

"Look at them" Kevaul panted gesturing at the four motionless figures laying a ways away. "The one just behind you tried to protect you from me once. See how miserably he has failed." Sora turned his head to look at them; they were fading slowly like dissipating mist. Suddenly there was a scream from everyone on the ledges above. Sora's head jerked back to Kevaul just as the man's sword buried itself in his chest.

Sora stared at the blade for a moment and Kevaul ripped it loose. The joy in his eyes, Sora now recognized as the joy in killing. Strangely he felt no pain from the wound that had been torn in his chest. No blood came from the wound as it should have done. The blade would have gone right through his heart, but his heart was not there. Sora closed his eyes as he felt the fabric of his body drift apart. The Keyblade vanished and he fell backward. Hitting the ground and dissipating like dark fog.

Kevaul raised his blood stained sword above his head. Then looked up at Goofy, Donald, Aerith, Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie. "There!" he cried, "There is you precious Key Bearer! Dead, though I will admit that he fought well. But no Keyblade Wielder can stand up to the might of the Thirteenth Order!" With that he shot into the air and flew back toward Hollow Bastion where his master waited. The others just watched the place where Sora had disappeared. Hopelessness was settling deep into their hearts. Donald and Goofy bowed their heads, ashamed that they had been unable to help. An invisible force had bound them to their places.

The skies were growing darker; the stars' light had become feeble, the moon slowly fading. The sky, the only thing that connected all worlds, was slowly being destroyed.

Kairi cried out and doubled up in pain. White-hot agony had pierced her heart. It was there for only a second, then it faded. But an emptiness lingered, a kind of absence replaced it. And all at once Kairi realized what it was. "His voice" she breathed, "It's left me." She raised blazing, pain-filled eyes to the sky, and placed a hand over what remained of her heart. She ran to the water's edge and looked out across the sea. A solitary meteor was falling from the depths of the sky. In her other hand she clutched the key chain that Sora had given back to her. "This time I won't be useless she muttered furiously, tears streaming down her face. "This time…I'll fight." The key chain in her hand glowed and changed. Kairi, eyes blazing, held up Oathkeeper to the darkening sky. "Sora" she whispered, "I won't let it end here."

The group at Hollow Bastion was quiet; none of them could quite believe Sora was dead.

"What was it that he said?" Aerith asked quietly, "about 'she is always with me'?"

"It's Kairi" Goofy said, "Their hearts are bonded together as one."

"But that alone is strange." Cloud said quietly. He fingered the hilt of his sword, thoughtfully.

"Is it?" Aerith asked him, "Is it any different from us? Would you say our hearts aren't bound as one? Through friendship if not love?" Cloud looked back at her without answering. But it was clear to Aerith at least, that he knew she was right.

"So what are we waiting for?" Donald yelled, "let's go to the Destiny Islands and find her!" The others nodded.

"I'm going with you." Leon said suddenly.

"Me too" Yuffie and Cloud said in unison.

"We can't!" Donald said in dismay, "we'd be meddling"

Yuffie gave Donald a hard look, then said quietly. "Isn't the destruction of the barriers an affair of all worlds?" Donald mouthed speechlessly at her. "The fate of the Key Bearer is tied to the fate of all worlds. I don't know about you but I won't sit back this time and watch him fight alone." Donald looked at Goofy for support.

But Goofy just shrugged. "I'm not going to try and hold them back against their will. Plus they make a good point." Donald relented with a sigh, and led them to the gummie ship.

"You three go" Aerith said, "Cid and I'll hold down the fort here." She took Cloud aside. "You be careful" she whispered, "there are powers at work here beyond darkness and light."

He reached out and stroked her hair. "I know" Cloud said quietly, "but my heart tells me I must do this." He dropped his hand and looked into Aerith's eyes. "But you know that I am really not that far away." Aerith nodded and pressed a hand to her heart.

She watched through teary eyes as Cloud returned to the others. The wind of the blast off of the gummi ship blew Aerith's hair across her face. "Good luck" she whispered watching the ship disappear out of sight.

The rocks all seemed darker at night, but then, it was always night these days. The moon cast what feeble light it could on the shore of a rocky beach. The water was calm, so still it looked like black glass. On one particular rock a figure sat, she was swathed in a long black coat, just as everybody around there was, not that there were many people. She gazed out at the water where the moon reflected on its dark surface.

To her left another figure walked through a rock. He was garbed just as she was, and under his hood his eyes gave off a golden glow. He looked at her for a moment then walked forward to stand next to her.

She turned her head, "He looks just like you" she said quietly. He didn't answer. She turned to gaze out at the sea again. "I remember he came here once before, but something dragged him back."

"Yes" the other murmured, "His heart was bound to another's, what strength binds them together I do not know, but it is powerful."


	4. The World Between

**Part Four: The World Between**

Kairi sat alone on the beach stroking Oathkeeper. The Keyblade was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. A shadow fell across her, and an immense wind struck. She leapt up the Keyblade vanishing from her hand. She was surprised to see the Highwind setting down. It threw sand in all directions and Kairi had to throw her arms up to shield her face from the flying bits of rock.

Coughing she looked up to see Donald and Goofy jump out of the cockpit. Followed, to her surprise by Leon, Yuffie, and another character she didn't know. Kairi gagged and spat out sand as Donald and Goofy strode up to her. "You could have found a better place to land" she said sourly to the duck.

"Eh heh" Donald said, "Er we need your help Kairi, do you know where Sora is?" he asked anxiously.

Kairi threw her hands up. "How should I know where he is? He's supposed to be with you!" she stopped suddenly as she realized what she was saying. She looked from the anxious looks on Donald and Goofy's faces, to the grim expressions on Leon's, Yuffie's, and the other's faces. "What's happened?"

They told her. Kairi pressed a hand over her heart and felt the emptiness within. "I can't feel him anymore," tears running down her face. But then she stood wiping away her tears. "Then we have to finish what he started, we can't leave it undone."

Suddenly Cloud shivered and looked up. "We must get back to Hollow Bastion" he murmured, "something is happening there." His eyes misted over, "I feel it the final barrier is fluctuating, and bending. Soon it will shatter, but it is thinnest at Hollow Bastion we must return there." He looked at Kairi then cast his gaze down. "I'm sorry" he murmured.

But Kairi shook her head. "Don't apologize, your duty is to your world. Go do what you can there." They nodded and boarded the Highwind again.

Kairi turned her back as the ship took off. As the sand whipped around her she laid eyes on the entrance to the Secret Place. Kairi drew OathKeeper and ran toward the cave, she stopped inside and cast a wary eye about. Then she walked to the door. A faint glow came from the edges of the wooden sheet. Kairi placed her palms on the door. Her hands sank right through it as if it were liquid. Kairi glanced back at the tunnel, then stepped through the door.

Sora opened his eyes slowly. His body felt as if it were filled with lead, and he could barely move. The landscape around him was dark, all sables and ebonies. Though dotted here and there was a gray stone amid the mass of black on the beach. The water was lapping rhythmically at the shore. Listening to it almost made Sora drift off again, but he snapped himself back, and sat up. There were arches of black stone all around, and lumps of obsidian dotted the beach here and there.

The place was somehow familiar to him. Though he couldn't recall ever being to this darkened beach under a sky obscured by thick clouds. Where the moon's feeble rays struggled to pierce the thick veil over the world.

Sora closed his eyes and was seized by an image. He saw himself as he had been two years before. Flying over a turbulent ocean, he looked as though he was unconscious but that wasn't it. Sora opened his eyes, now he remembered why this place was familiar. He had been here before. When he'd unlocked his own heart to release Kairi's and become a heartless. This was the place where he had come.

Sora stood brushing pebbles off his clothes. His skin seemed to have and eerie glow to it. And there was a faint spark of light coming from his chest, where his heart was. Sora gazed out past the beach. Where the pebbles ended an expanse of silver grass on rolling hills began. Not giving a thought to why Sora started walking, his back to the full moon. It was then he saw it, what seemed like the only bit of reality in this colorless place. A small white hawk fluttered down out of the sky. It had a light blue crest down that ran down its neck. It spread its wings the tips of its wing feathers tinged a light blue, and a blue forked tail.

The hawk regarded Sora, gazing at him with sparkling black eyes. Without thinking Sora reached out a hand to the bird of pray. It stepped onto his fist sinking black claws into his glove for grip. The bird spread its wings slightly for balance, still staring at Sora. Sora made as if to keep walking but the hawk let out a shriek, and dug its claws in. Sora stopped and looked at the bird.

He knew suddenly what this omen meant. "Life within death," he murmured, "light within darkness." The hawk cheeped and held out its leg. Something glittered in its tiny talons. Sora took it carefully, it was a key chain of hawk. White with silver lined wings, and turquoise streaks. Its eyes were set with tiny gems that were neither dark nor light, but a mixture of both, like the eyes of the hawk.

Sora looked at the tiny bird, "thank you" he said, but there was a slight tremor in his voice. The bird cocked its head then opened its beak. A voice rang through Sora's being, rattling him loose from his floaty state.

"The closer you come to the light, the larger your shadow becomes. But don't be afraid, your heart is the mightiest weapon of all. You shall open the final door…"

Sora shook his head to clear it of the voice. At his sudden movement the hawk took off with a loud cry. Sora watched it fly out of sight, he clutched the key chain it had given him tighter. Sora knew in his heart that it was not just a gift, but it too had some secret meaning. He put the strange pendant away and continued walking.

Ansem smiled up at the sky as streamers of silver light fell all around him. Soon, very soon his ultimate goal would be fulfilled. Ansem turned when he heard footsteps behind him. "Why Squall, Cloud Strife, Yuffie, Aerith how nice of you to join me."

"Enough of this Ansem!" Yuffie cried, "we cannot let you destroy the barrier!"

Ansem cackled, "and exactly what are you going to do to stop me?"

"Whatever it takes" Cloud growled raising his sword.

Ansem clapped his hands together with excitement. "Oh very well, I see there's nothing I can say to dissuade you. So meet your ends you pathetic worms!" Ansem unleashed a huge bolt of energy that struck the four who stood in front of him. They were instantly overwhelmed and knocked backward. "You fools" Ansem sniffed. He turned away and eagerly watched as the sky, the final barrier, collapsed in on itself. It fell in dark folds coating all worlds. A sleepless power seeped out of the gaping hole left behind. It leached all life and happiness from anything it touched. A darkness deeper than that which held Ansem. It was the true darkness, and it could not be stopped.

Riku walked steadily along the path. It didn't seem to go anywhere. He was full of fear, for he'd felt something happen to Sora. Something so alien that it made him quiver from head to foot. Suddenly he caught sight of someone laying on the path in front of him. He ran to them and turned them over. With a flare of shock he saw that it was Kairi.

"Kairi!" he said shaking her, "wake up!" desperation filled his voice.

Kairi's eyelids flickered she opened her eyes. "Riku?" she said thickly looking at him in wonder. "Are you there?"

"In part" Riku replied, smiling. Kairi sat up and rubbed her temples. "How did you get here?" Riku asked, "I thought the barriers were sealed."

Kairi shook her head, "I didn't come in a ship, I came through the door."

Riku looked at her, a mixture of horror and bewilderment on his face. "Through…the door?" Kairi nodded.

"Riku I'm so glad you're okay." She hugged him tightly. Riku's eyes were casting about in the darkness, looking for something.

"Are you there?" he whispered quietly.

"What?" Kairi asked drawing away from him.

Riku shook his head, "nothing, where's Sora?"

Kairi looked down tears filling her eyes. "He's gone…" she said quietly putting her face in her hands. "Donald and Goofy and the others from Hollow Bastion say he's dead. But Riku, I don't believe it, I can't believe it."

A stab of raw horror had pierced Riku. Sora? Dead? He couldn't believe it either, if only because he had to make amends with Sora. If only because he had to say sorry. Riku put his face in his hands, what to do now?

Sora looked out at the great expanse of city before him. Rain came pelting down without mercy. Sora didn't feel it, he could feel nothing in this strange world. Not the wind, or the grass, or the beating of his own heart. Perhaps his heart wasn't there… Sora shook his head violently to rid himself such thoughts. The rain ran in thick streams down his face as he looked around he saw another figure walking toward him.

The stranger wore a long black coat, his eyes were obscured by the white blond hair that fell across them. As he walked heartless began to appear out of the ground. They pulled their sinewy bodies from the pools of darkness, their golden eyes glinting. Sora was just about to call out when the figure stopped. He drew from the inside of his coat two Keyblades. Sora saw that one was Oathkeeper the other Oblivion.

The heartless attacked, the phantom was totally outnumbered, but had some power on his side. He wielded the Keyblades with deadly accuracy. But his skill was not enough to stem the flow of shadows. They poured in on him writhing like a single black mass.

Sora looked up. He could just make out a second figure standing on the edge of the building. A dark shadow against the lighting flashing brightly across the sky. The gigantic mass of Heartless exploded. Sending their wriggling bodies in every direction.

Sora felt something suddenly as if something had pierced his heart. Driving a great pain down into his very being. He screamed, the Heartless faltered in their pursuit of the black coated unknown. They dragged themselves over to Sora. Only to flop and writhe at his feet, seeming to get weaker as they got closer to him. Sora was doubled up as pain continued to burn through his insides. Light and darkness filled his eyes obscuring his vision. Their was an eerie scream and the Heartless vanished.

Suddenly a cool hand pressed against Sora's forehead, the pain dimmed. Sora looked up, and found himself facing the unknown who had wielded the Keyblades. "Calm yourself, it burns I know. It's hard to deal with the loss at first. But eventually the pain will pass." said a low comforting voice.

Sora was gasping for breath. The pain had not gone but had dulled slightly. It still ached within Sora, making his whole body throb painfully. With a cough Sora looked up at the man who had spoken.

"Did you get all the Heartless?" he asked hoarsely.

The Keyblade wielding unknown shook his head a slight smile crossing his lips. "No it was you who got rid of them."

Sora looked up at him shaply. "Me?" the other nodded, "but how?"

"Heartless, have less power here." Said another unknown who was walking up to them. He wore a blindfold under the thick silver hair that framed his face. "There are no hearts for them to consume. Some of those who reside here have ties back to the Present World. Something happened to that tie to make you react as you did. You released a great amount of energy that incinerated the Heartless. Though where such power came from I cannot fathom."

The unknown who had wielded Oathkeeper and Oblivion turned to him. "Yes you do. You know very well what makes that kind of tie."

He was silent for a moment. "All right perhaps I do know. But it is so deep and so powerful in this case that it seems like it's limitless. How can there be such a power?" The other didn't answer.

Sora shuddered, "I saw you disappear" he mumbled, "you just faded away" Both of them them looked at him sharply.

"You saw our bodies?" inquired the Keyblade wielding unkown. Sora couldn't reply he felt sick as a particularly painful throb ripped through him. He sank to his knees feeling his strength trickle away. The ground pitched, rumbling in anger. The rain came down thicker, falling with such speed that it no longer felt like a liquid. Sora raised his head gazing skyward with unseeing eyes. Suddenly out of his heart burst a beam of pure golden light. It struck some old billboard screens on the roof of a building.

Faces whirled across the screens, places, foes. Sora's memories played out, the two unknowns watched speechless. Sora cried out and the light vanished, he fell forward face down on the rain soaked street.

The blindfolded unknown knelt down by him. "You do not belong here" he whispered, "for your heart still lives."


	5. The Power of Memories

** Part Five: The Power of Memories**

Donald let out a furious growl. How had they managed to get themselves into this? Goofy was looking up at the ceiling, the crystal forms all around them reflected in his eyes.

"Are you listening to me?" Donald raged. Goofy looked at him and raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'why would I listen to you?' "humph" Donald said emphatically and turned his back.

Ansem had caught their ship leaving Hollow Bastion. He'd destroyed Highwind and thrown Donald and Goofy into their prison. What plans the king of Hollow Bastion had for them was uncertain to Donald and Goofy.

"Well we gotta get out of here somehow." Goofy said thoughtfully. Donald snapped as he'd just said that. He turned on Goofy raising his Mage's Staff and cast Blizagga at his partner.

Goofy dodged the spell. It hit one of the crystal devices, bounced off the ceiling and struck Donald. Freezing the duck into a large block of ice. Goofy stared slightly horrified at Donald.

"As amusing as that was," Ansem's voice roared through the room. "I cannot let you go knowing that you will just interfere again. Like those pathetic beings that used to call themselves my subjects."

"What have you done to them?" Goofy called back, not sure if Ansem would answer. Or if the madman could even hear him.

"Oh I have put them in safe keeping until I have need of them. Now prepare to meet your doom" The crystals began to dim, darkness bled out of them to wrap around Goofy and Donald in his icy prison. The darkness choked Goofy. Squeezing all the air from his lungs, he fell backward. Blacking out as he sank into eternal darkness.

Kairi and Riku were still sitting in the Endless Abyss. "So what do we do now?" Kairi asked, her voice shaking. Riku was staring into the darkness beyond the path, he didn't seem to hear her. "Riku?"

He started, "What? Oh well I think I've been going around in circles with this path." He said casting his gaze along the path's length. "But even if we do find a way out, Kairi I can't follow you."

She looked at him puzzled. "Why not?"

Riku sighed looking back out at the darkness. "Because I'm not really here. I was unable to take back my body. What you see is my heart."

She went to stand next to him. "I wondered why you didn't look older." She said quietly, "so where is your body?"

"Ansem still has it probably." He said with a shrug.

Kairi gazed at him for a moment then asked. "Do you want to help Sora?"

Riku gave her a startled look. "Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

"He told me what you said, about your heart being too strong to be overcome by Heartless. About being the true wielder of the keyblade, about what happened in Monstro."

Riku flushed and looked away. "I won't deny that I said those things. But Kairi Malefacent dripped poison in my ears, she turned me against him."

"But you went willingly Riku, why?" Kairi asked her eyes blazing.

Riku sighed again. "I have known for a long time that Sora has something I don't. I don't know what it is and I know he doesn't realize it. I just thought that now that he'd discovered the Keyblade he'd realize that power and look down on me. He's my closest friend Kairi to loose him is like loosing a part of my own heart."

"If you knew that why did you open your heart to darkness?" Kairi demanded.

"I suppose it was the old rivalry thing." He said indistinctly.

Kairi gazed speechlessly at him. "You might've killed him!"

"No!" Riku said angrily, "that was after Ansem took over my body that he tried to kill Sora. I tried Kairi I tried not to." He turned to her fury blazing in his eyes. Kairi took a step back from him. "Do you know what I had to do to keep him from taking your heart Kairi" Riku whispered his voice deadly soft. Kairi shook her head eyes wide. "I had to use my own life force to stop him and give you time to get out."

Kairi swallowed, tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry" she said softly and looked away.

Riku looked back to the darkness and cried. "You helped me before. Tell us what do we do now?"

"You wait" Said a voice behind them. Kairi and Riku whirled around. The king of the Disney Castle was standing there. His white gloved hands shoved into the pockets of his full length black coat.

Cloud came to slowly, he opened his eyes and shut them instantly. He'd seen nothing but a bright crystal blue, it nearly blinded him. But Cloud opened his eyes again curious as to why he was floating. Cloud realized that he was suspended inside a crystal chamber held up by some liquid, that for some reason he could breath in. Cloud didn't ponder this, he was a warrior not a scientist.

Cloud pressed his hands flat against the crystal wall, he saw that there were other such cages around the room. He saw Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie. Cid must have escaped, Cloud hoped he had.

There were five other containers in the room, not counting the ones that held Cloud's friends. One held a silver haired youth, perhaps the same age as Sora, the others held adults. One had held a women her dark brown hair swirling around her head. Another a man with golden blond hair. Yet another held a man with dark black hair, a head band circled his forehead. The last container held Kevaul of all people. But his hair wasn't the fiery red it had been when he had confronted Sora. It was a brownish-blonde color, but the face was unmistakable though the features were slightly twisted.

Cloud shivered slightly wondering how he was going to get out. He could see his sword, Leon's Gunblade, and Yuffie's shuriken on a table at the other end of the room. There were also several other weapons there. Cloud sank to the bottom of his prison, leaning his face miserably against the barrier.

Something deep inside Cloud snapped. Some part of him that had been hidden all the time from when he had first come to Hollow Bastion. These were his friends, and those who obviously did not mean to be where they were. Cloud's fists clenched, scarlet lighting fizzled in the water. It roared behind Cloud's eyes as he looked up, the tattered black wing unfolded. Power reeled away from him churning and swarming inside the crystal prison. Cloud opened his mouth, as the power filled every inch of him. Roaring in his veins, beating with his heart. Cloud shouted a spell that was lost in the water, he felt his whole body retch, jerking against the wall of his cage.

The crystal shattered, Cloud flopped onto the tiled floor in a cascade of water. He coughed hard as his body expelled the strange liquid. The other containers had shattered as well, their inhabitants thrown ingloriously to the floor. Aerith rolled over and coughed too, she wrenched herself into a sitting position.

Cloud went over to her, "are you all right?" He asked concerned.

She nodded, "the others?" Cloud looked up neither Leon nor Yuffie had stirred. Nor had any of the others who had been locked into the containers. They were still breathing, but it seemed as if they'd all gone into a coma. Cloud helped Aerith to stand, she looked at the other eight people who had been imprisoned in this place.

"So why did we wake up?" she asked quietly not really speaking to anyone.

Cloud shook his head, "I don't know, but let's get them out of here." Aerith nodded. She and Cloud went to pick up the silver haired boy, who was closest. When they touched him, his body dissipated, sinking into the ground. Like the shadows of the heartless.


	6. The Nonexistant

** Part Six: The Nonexistant**

Sora opened his eyes, he was laying on a bed. Darkness pressed on his eyes, the pain that had seized him was gone. But their was a dull sting to his pride for collapsing. Sora swung his legs off the bed and carefully stood up. The room spun for a second then settled into place. Quietly Sora went to the door of the room and eased it open. Behind it there was a small living area, a table and some chairs against the wall. There was a couch and a rug. Four people were sitting at the table, they looked up when Sora slid into the room.

They stood. "Well Sora glad to see you're alive." Said one grinning at Sora, his white blond hair falling into icy blue eyes. Sora recognized him as the man who had wielded Oathkeeper and Oblivion. "We've been very rude so far and haven't even told you our names." He held out a gloved hand. "I'm Lycole" Sora shook his hand. "That's Terra" he said pointing to the woman. She had glittering green eyes, and dark hair that had pale streaks in it. "And that's Caliga," he pointed to the blindfolded man. Who nodded at the introduction. "And Lutian, I'm told you already know." Lycole moved away and Sora saw that there was another man standing behind him. Sora did indeed know him, it was the stranger from his dream. Sora nodded, his eyes locked on Lutian.

"Come here and sit down." Terra said, Sora did so, still slightly shocked and wondering if he was still dreaming.

"I suppose you want an explanation?" Lycole said sitting down too.

Sora nodded and swallowed. "That would be nice." He said dryly.

Lycole grinned but only half heartedly. "Well Sora, you are no longer in the Present World. You're in the World Between, it's a forgotten world you might say, a dyeing world. This is where the shell of a person is sent, we are mere shadows of the beings we once were."

"You see there are three parts to a person really." Terra said, "the heart, the body, and oh you could call it the outer shell. Or some people prefer to call it the soul. You can't harm the shell because it doesn't exist with in the world, only within the person it's attached to."

"This Ansem," Lutian said, "has devised a way to control our shells. He has made us come together in what he calls the Thirteenth Order. Kevaul too is a shell."

Sora looked at him. "He told me he wasn't of the Nonexistent"

Lutian shrugged. "Perhaps that is what he believes, but I am positive that he is of the Nonexistent, as we are."

"So Ansem must have your bodies too, right?" Sora said guessing why he had such power over them. Lutian nodded. "So what happened to your hearts?" Sora asked.

"We don't know" Caliga said quietly, he was standing at the other side of the table leaning against the wall. "Eventually we were able to fight off the power he had over us. But now we've lost contact with our bodies completely. So I'm not sure if we can return or not."

"But if you're shells how come you've still got all your memories?"

"But we don't, not really." Lycole said sadly, "who we were, what we did. Life just kind of slips away after a while. The most I really remember of my life is my name."

"Once I lost my heart." Sora said softly, "I fell into this huge black void. I started to forget things too."

"Ah that was when you arrived on these shores before. But something pulled you back, we were here when that happened." Terra said.

Sora looked out the window. The beach was spread out before the little house. "It is strange" Lutian said noticing where he was looking. "That you came to this particular place. The World Between is made up of many different folds and crevices. This place is made up of bits of our memories."

"Those bits we remember," Caliga said, "Like the city, that was where we lived. I believe it was called Twilight Town. The beach and the grasslands I'm not sure about."

Sora got up, the others watched him cautiously. "I need to think about all this" he said, "Thanks for telling me about all this though." They nodded and Sora went to the door and walked out. The light the of the ever apparent moon shed on him felt almost like another substance to Sora.

Shoving his hands in his pockets Sora walked along the beach. Passing through the shadows of the great stone arches. Suddenly something glittering caught Sora's eye, it was a glass bottle. Sora bent to pick it up, inside the bottle was a crinkled note. Carefully Sora withdrew the brittle piece of paper. Smoothing it out, he read the curly black words that seemed to glitter in the moonlight.

_Ones born of the heart and darkness, devoid of hearts, ravage all worlds and bring desolation. Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart. All hearts to be one, one heart to encompass all. Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts. The great darkness sealed within the great heart. Progeny of darkness, come back to the eternal darkness. For the heart of light shall unseal the path. Seven hearts, one Keyhole, one key to the door. The door of darkness tied by two keys. The door of darkness to seal the light. None shall pass but shadows, returning to the darkness. Ones born of the heart and darkness, hunger for every heart until the dark door opens._

Sora recognized the words, they had been written in the computer at the End of the World Prison. "Seven hearts" he whispered, "One Keyhole, one Key." Sora wheeled around and ran back toward the shack.

Yuffie slowly opened her eyes, every inch of her body stung. With a groan she sat up and looked around. She was sitting bluff, below stretched an ocean. She turned and saw Leon laying a ways away.

She went over and shook him. "Hey Squall! Wake up!"

Leon opened his eyes and looked up to glare at Yuffie. "It's Leon"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Whatever, look where we are"

Leon sat up and looked around, his dark eyes surveying everything. "The last thing I remember was Ansem firing a spell at us."

Yuffie's eyes went wide, "do you think we're dead?"

Leon withdrew a small dagger from his belt and nicked his palm with the blade. Blood came out of the cut, but it was dark, almost black looking. Leon looked up at Yuffie as he replaced the dagger. "No we're still alive, but the question is where." They were silent for a moment, wondering where on earth they were.

Sora came skidding through the door to the cabin, the note clutched tightly in one hand. Caliga was laying on the couch, his full length stretched along it. He'd removed his blindfold, the small ribbon of cloth was clutched tightly in his hand. He sat up as Sora entered, and opened his eyes. There was just black under the eyelids, it made Sora shiver to see it.

"I can see you, you know" Caliga said getting up, "though not seeing as you might think. I can see your life force, and your heart." He retied the blindfold as Lycole came down the stairs.

"Hey Sora. What's up you look bothered."

"Where's Terra and Lutian?" he asked quickly.

"I'm not sure they kinda just rushed out. Why?" Sora walked over to him and handed him the piece of paper.

"Does any of this sound familiar to you?" he asked. Lycole read the passage, speaking it aloud for Caliga's benefit.

Slowly Lycole lowered the paper. "This is a prophecy" he said. His voice shocked. "And it came to you?" Sora nodded. Lycole looked at Caliga, "So that's what the dream meant."

"Must be" the other replied. Caliga moved forward to take the paper. He ran his fingers over the words.

"What?" asked Sora puzzled.

"I had a dream, that the final barer would come and that we must fight at his side. We had to help him fight his way into Kingdom hearts." Caliga heaved a sigh. "I'm prepared to do that, are you?" he said addressing Lycole.

"Always" Lycole replied dawning his coat. Caliga did the same. They left the shack, and walked swiftly toward the city.

"Couldn't we wait till it stops raining?" Sora asked eyeing the rolling clouds above the buildings in the distance.

Lycole gave him a hard look. "It's always raining in the city." He replied.

Riku and Kairi stared at Mickey. "So it was you all along?" Riku asked. The king nodded. "You could have said something" Riku grumbled.

"I wanted to get my point across" Mickey said raising and eyebrow. "And I did didn't I?" Riku gave a growl in reply.

Kairi looked from Mickey to Riku and back. "What?" She asked confused.

Riku waved a hand at her. "It's nothing, never mind about it." Suddenly a dark aura surrounded Riku. It was dark intertwined with strands of light. Riku gasped and then his features became obscured by the darkness. Kairi screamed and ran forward, but Mickey grabbed her arm. For such a little thing, the mouse was quite strong.

The twisting mass of darkness and light that was Riku grew taller. Then it began to dwindle sliding down his body to sink into the ground. Kairi stared in wide eyed astonishment.

Riku was taller, he wore different clothes, and his face was older. Riku beamed at Kairi, "someone released my body, and I found it again." He then looked at Mickey, "that's what you were waiting for wasn't it?" The king nodded smiling.

Mickey turned to Kairi. "Now do you think you could get us out of here?"

Kairi blinked, "What?"

"You have the power to get us out of here. We need to jump realms, we have to get to the World in Between. That's where Sora is, we need to get to him."

A jolt went through both Kairi and Riku. "He's still alive?" Riku asked.

"In a manner of speaking." The king replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kairi demanded.

But Riku was thinking hard. "It has something to do with the door doesn't it?" Mickey nodded.

"What door?" Kairi asked, suspicious

But Riku shook his head. "Never mind, do you think you can get us out of here?"

Kairi looked down and closed her eyes. Not really knowing what to do, she fell into a deep trance. Falling down within herself, without knowing she did so. Kairi withdrew an ancient power from her heart. Her mind wove it into a great net around herself, Riku, and Mickey.

To Riku and Micky everything had faded to a dull grayish white. Then Kairi rose into the air, a spark of light glimmering at her heart. Her arms were thrown out her head back, she moved them with the power of her heart from the Endless Abyss. Something barred her way making her falter. It was doubt she didn't really believe she could do it.

"She's faltering" Mickey cried. "Kairi you've got to go through with it."

Riku seized Kairi's hand, and projected and image into her mind. They were at the paopu tree. Riku was leaning against it, Sora and Kairi sitting on top of the leaning trunk. The light of the dying sun sinking below the horizon cast red and gold around them. They said nothing to each other, and just watched the sun falling, and night beginning to stretch dark creepers across the sky.

"_Remember this?_" Riku thought furiously to Kairi, "_Remember what we're fighting for?_"

"_Yes…_" Came a faint reply. Kairi's eyes flew open. The swirling grays around them vanished. A cascade of water fell onto them, Kairi fell with it. Riku caught her and steadied her on her feet. They looked around them, they were standing in a dark, rain-drenched city. There were flickering neon signs here and there, but one board caught Kairi's eye. She gulped and poked Riku, he turned and she pointed.

There was a collection of boards at the top of one building that had images racing across it. She saw her face and Riku's distinctly.

"What is that?" Riku murmured staring entranced at the images.

Kairi knew what they were, though she couldn't say how. "They're memories…Sora's memories."

"Yes that's what they look like." Riku said quietly. "Then he's here, isn't he Mickey?" there was no answer. Kairi and Riku turned, the king was nowhere in sight.


	7. To Fight for Friends

**Part Seven: To Fight for Friends **

Doanld wearily rolled over and pushed himself up. Every inch of him ached as though it had been beaten. Doanld groaned as he sat up, and picked up his staff. Goofy was lying a few feet away. Doanld crawled over to him, and shook his shoulder.

"Goofy wake up." Goofy didn't stir. "Come on" Donald said shaking him harder. "Don't give up on me now. Not after everything that's happened."

Goofy's eyes opened and he grinned at Donald. "You know I wouldn't leave you in the face of a battle." Donald sat back also grinning, and examined the place they had landed in. They were sitting on the roof a building high in the heart of a gigantic city. The sun was high and shone brightly. The buildings were made of various shades of brown, yellow, and tan.

Carefully Donald and Goofy got to their feet. It wasn't the city the gave them and eerie feeling, it was the total lack of life within it.

Yuffie and Leon had climbed down off the bluff and were walking along the beach below. Neither said anything to the other, not as though they had much to say. Suddenly two figure merged out of the shadows a ways down the beach. Both Leon and Yuffie instinctively reached for their weapons, but they weren't there.

The two black-coated figures walked up to them. Carefully they reached up and slid their hoods down. One was a slim faced woman, with dark black hair streaked with silver that fell to her shoulders, framing a face set with glittering green eyes.

The other quite unearned both Leon and Yuffie. For he looked exactly like Sora. He smiled crookedly at the shock on their faces.

"You look just like Sora, but older." Yuffie said, gazing at him.

Lutian sighed. "That's because I am shadow of the being he will become. He doesn't know we didn't tell him-"

"You've seen him?" Leon asked sharply.

Lutian nodded. "Yes found him in the city."

"We thought he was dead," Yuffie said quietly gazing at them.

"How he got to the World in Between is beyond us." Terra said with a shrug. "For his heart still lives. As do yours coincidentally." Terra said.

"We were sent here by Ansem I guess, though don't ask how. I haven't a clue as to how he did it." Leon stated.

Lutian and Terra looked at each other. "You must come with us" Lutian said and turned around swiftly and began walking, Terra right behind him. Leon and Yuffie glanced at each other and seeing no alternative followed.

Standing at Ansem's side, Kevaul gave and shudder.

Ansem looked at him with concern. "What is it?"

Kevaul shook his head. "Nothing my liege"

Ansem turned back to the sky he could feel it coming. It was finally falling, a grin twisted his lips. He felt a strange presence next to him. He turned to look at Kevual again, annoyed this time. Kevaul was trembling uncontrollably, darkness was dripping from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Ansem took a step back, it must have been a symptom of his experiment with the nonexistent.

Kevaul looked up at Ansem and said with a grin. "They have come for you my liege, for you are the source of all Heartless." He turned and pointed to a writhing pool of darkness just behind them. Ansem smiled and walked into it, Kevaul didn't follow. He fell to his knees, his hair slowly changing color from red to a brown-blond. His eyes changed from green to a soft brown. His face changed features melding back into the form they had been created into.

Kevaul had come back to his body, he began to feel once more. Emotions and temperatures. The pool of darkness closed behind him as Kevaul gazed up at the tower. He then ran through the lift stops and doorways, madly trying to reach Ansem's private quarters.

Aerith and Cloud jumped as the door to the room burst open. Cloud lunged for his sword and Aerith grabbed her baton as Kevaul burst into the room. His eyes were frantic as he saw the shattered containers. Completely ignoring Cloud and Aerith he ran to the strangers who were all laying in a line.

"Terra, Caliga, Lycole! Wake up you guys!" He shook them each in turn, none of them stirred. If he hadn't looked closely he would have thought they were dead. Slowly Kevaul sat back putting his face in his hands. "No" he moaned, "I'm so sorry."

Aerith and Cloud walked cautiously up to him. Aerith laid her staff down, but Cloud kept a firm and determined grip on his sword. "Our friends won't wake up either" Aertih said. Kevaul looked up, his appearance had changed. It looked just like the body that had been confined in one of the containers. Cloud glanced around as he noticed this, Kevaul's body was gone, returned to its heart and soul.

Kevaul took a shuddering breath. "If they don't wake up that means their souls have gone to the World in Between. It's a forgotten realm where the shells of beings who once lived reside."

"So why didn't we end up there?" Cloud asked still suspicious.

Kevaul looked at him. "I don't know, perhaps your tie to this world is so strong that you couldn't be pulled through. Or perhaps your friends have been called there, that happens every now and then. Those who still have living hearts are called to the World in Between." Kevaul got up, "Ansem's gone by the way. The Heartless called him out by using me as a voice." He grimaced, "Heartless have the most foul stench of any creature I've ever run across." He looked down on his friends, "Whatever you're doing guys you'd better hurry up. We're running out of time."

Suddenly Kevaul looked up the air around him began to bend and writhe as though in a haze. "Ansem has the power to mess with time. He sent me back to destroy those who would stand in his way. It is because of me that Caliga has no sight." He shuddered. "I fought Lycole and I nearly killed him. I am ashamed for that." He stood gazing at Aerith and Cloud. "I will not let them fight alone" he hissed furiously. Cloud raised his sword, but suddenly Kevaul was gone.

Sora, Caliga, and Lycole entered the rain. It was like walking through a vertical curtain of water. It immediately soaked them through to the skin, but none of them felt it. Sora tried to summon the Keyblade but it wouldn't come, it just wouldn't come to his hand. He had barely had time to ponder this when Lycole shoved him hard. And Caliga took him by the scruff of the neck, and ran. Sora felt himself spinning in about thirty different directions. When Caliga released him Sora fell over, his head spinning. Sora carefully got to his feet shaking his head.

They were standing on top of a building, the same building they had before. Sora saw with some shock that is memories were still flying across the screen. "You've got to go" Claiga said, "you've got to jump." Sora nodded, and swallowing moved to the edge. "Don't fall with your body," Caliga said. "Fall with everything you are. Your heart, body, and soul."

Sora turned to look at him. "Why was I brought here?" he asked. The wind whipped Caliga's hair and coat.

"Because your heart is different, it bears a different power. Because you know the road you must take. Quickly you must jump, don't ask me how. But you are able to manipulate the folds of this world. You can jump, you are not afraid are you?"

Sora shook his head. He turned to face the open air and jumped. The wind roared in his ears as he fell. Everything seemed to slow down, the ground did not come. He fell deeper and deeper into shadow. Then he stopped, his vision cleared. He was hovering in the air far above land. Sora cast his eyes about, looking over the world. Something was serene about it, all peaceful and calm.

"_What is this place?"_ He though silently, and jumped when a voice answered.

"_Is this the answer you've been looking for?"_ Sora didn't reply due to the shock that was numbing his entire body. Since he didn't say anything the voice went on. _"This is the world in its true form." _Sora felt into his pocket and his fingers closed around the small key chain of the hawk, buried in the crinkled paper. Phantom tears came to his eyes, to fall into the illusion of what the world had once been. The image broke apart spiraling off into shadow.

Sora fell deeper into the darkness, as at last he too lost hope. _"Maybe our journey meant nothing after all" _he thought, and blackness closed in around him.

Lycole walked along the dark street, as he had done so many times. Something cold and resolute came with him this time. The rain ran down the side of his hood in thick streams, it was cold too. He could feel Caliga standing on the building where Sora's memories continued to whir across the screen. Dots of eerie yellow light appeared on the ground all around him as the Heartless pulled themselves out of the pools of darkness that spawned everywhere they stepped. They massed in a great army around Lycole, shivering jerking, never staying still.

Lycole drew Oathkeeper and Oblivion, whirling the Keyblades on his hands and sinking into the guard position. Caliga raised his arms, and the clouds rolled away, to reveal the dark navy sky streaked with meteors. As the moon light fell on the drenched street, icy blue light rose from the ground to form a heart shape around Lycole.

"_Where's Sora?" _Lycole's question ringing through his thoughts.

"_Gone…" _Was Caliga's faint answer.

"We must find him" 

"_Yes, we must" _Caliga replied.

The light around Lycole vanished and with a wild cry he threw himself into the mass of Heartless. A strange force roared in his veins, he leapt into the air rising away from the ground. The Heartless rose with him, he threw Oathkeeper into the air, striking down the air born Heartless.

But there were too many for him to take out. Lycole leapt backwards, landing at the top of a stair case. He chanced a glance up the building, the heartless had formed a vast sea. They writhed and clambered over each other to get at Lycole. He jumped, leaping from the banister and landing on the side of the building. Lycole proceeded to run up the buildings side. When he reached the screens Lycole drew his arm back and hurled Oblivion into the air, summoning the Kingdom Key in its place.

Caliga leapt off the edge of the building and seized Oblivion as he fell. He and Lycole exchanged a quick glance as they passed each other. Caliga landed directly in the midst of the Heartless sending them in all directions.

Lycole flipped himself up onto the top of the building. He turned and looked down to see Caliga fighting off a fresh torrent of Heartless. He was just about to leap down and help, when he felt and odd presence behind him. Lycole turned to see something small and dark come flipping through the air. It landed tail erect and Keyblade drawn, its eyes blazing as it watched Lycole.

Lycole raised and eyebrow at Mickey. "I see you have returned, care to join the fray?"

"I do believe I shall" Mickey and Lycole leapt from the building. Joining Caliga in the battle against the endless stream of heartless.

Kairi and Riku felt something drag at their hearts. "Heartless" Riku growled.

"Let's get them" Kairi said drawing her Oathkeeper. Riku looked at her for a moment sure he saw another standing where she was. He saw not the ditsy childish girl she had been. But a great warrior whose heart and being had grown through an experience he would never know. But was not all that different from his own. Riku shook the feeling off with a shiver.

Riku and Kairi had been put on their guard when the rain clouds rolled away. Now they saw the swarming mass of Heartless and the struggling figures within them. Sword and Keyblade in hand, Kairi and Riku threw themselves into the battle with a fierce, blind rage.

Leon, Yuffie, Terra, and Lutian. Came running into the city, both Terra and Lutian had been panicked when the clouds had gone from the city. They were running hard when the mass of Heartless came into sight.

"But we don't have any weapons" Yuffie said gazing, eyes wide at the mountain of squirming bodies.

Terra whirled on her, "You know your own weapon better than anyone! Summon them you idiot! This is not the time to be helpless!" With that she and Lutian waded into the fray. Leon and Yuffie glanced at each other. Then simultaneously held out a hand and summoned their weapons. Leon the Gunblade, and Yuffie a large shuriken, they too went into the battle.

There was one last fighter to join the battle. He slammed into the Heartless knocking several out. He darted through the thick places of the battle like a viper, wielding deadly bladed rings. His eyes gleamed in a golden glow beneath his hood. Lycole was the first to come face to face with him.

"Kevaul?!" Lycole said with surprise, nearly dropping his Keyblades.

Kevaul grinned. "Of course, can't let you guys have all the fun." Lycole grinned in reply, they fought side by side.

Something struck Mickey hard at the ankles. He fell backward, shadow closed in around him swallowing the King. The Keyblade in his had disappeared, and Mickey knew not where the darkness sought to take him this time.

Lutian fell to his knees, his strength draining through the wound in his side. Slowly he felt his being unravel. Lutian smiled. "At last" he whispered his voice fading away. "At last this war is to end" Lutian fell forward and his body disintegrated in a huff of air.


	8. True Key Bearer

**Part Eight: True Key Bearer **

hadows. He saw Lycole, Caliga, Terra, Kevaul, and Lutian fighting together with all their strength and might. He saw Yuffie and Leon carving their way through the ranks. But his heart quailed when he saw Riku, and Kairi. They fought together, side by side.

Sora closed his eyes. _Why do they fight? _He wondered. _There is no hope anymore._ Unseen by Sora the heartless grew, their antennae thrown back to become a mane, arms lengthened, a great hole opened in their chests. They became darksides. The group of warriors looked up at their changed foes. All knew that there was no way they could win this battle now, but none showed it. They all took firmer grips on their weapons looking at the Heartless with stony eyes, now was the time to finish it.

The darkside made short work of them. Sora could see it in his mind, they picked up various people. Throwing them into buildings but now matter how hard the blow was, they got up again and kept fighting. Sora couldn't see them anymore he was sinking away, sinking away from everything he was. Darkness entered his soul, greedily eating away at his heart.

A darkside landed Kairi a particularly nasty blow. She was thrown against cold stone, Oathkeeper flying from her hand. She slid to the ground, feeling her life drain away from her. _"Sora…" _was her almost silent plea. "_Sora…why?"_

A light erupted out of the murky depths that was darkness. Sora's heart rebelled in anguish, he was letting all that he held dear fade away. Sora's eyes flew open light roaring behind them. A light that was different then anything else. It exploded out of nowhere, the darkside threw up their hands to shield their eyes.

Lycole got to his feet panting and offered a hand to Caliga. Caliga took it and let his friend pull him to his feet. Kevaul hauled Terra to her feet, and Yuffie was steadying a dazed Leon. All their eyes were on the beam of light that has exploded out of nowhere. It was still there, pulsing. The darkside were cowering away from it, as it slowly moved and formed itself into a shape.

The light died and in its place stood a gigantic being. It was made of rippling darkness, but light shimmered around it. Emblazoned on its chest was a different mark then that of the heartless. The great creature opened its mouth and out of it cascaded a great beam of light. It struck the darkside, who instantly perished.

"The darkness is fighting for the light" Riku said awed. The creature looked around then spotted its quarry. It reached out and picked up a limp figure, slowly it laid it at Riku's feet, it was Kairi. "Kairi!" Riku cried shaking her as the others came over to him. Trembling hard he said. "She's dead" He looked up at the creature, and felt a voice roar through his mind.

"_I am sorry that I was unable to do as you asked" _The voice shook Riku to the bone, but it was vaguely familiar. _"So I give you what you were entitled to all along." _It held out a paw. Shimmering there against the creature's dark flesh, was the Kingdom Key. Riku took it in trembling hands, "Sora" he breathed. A single tear fell from the creature's eye as it turned away. The tear landed on Kairi, sparks of light flew in all directions. Riku turned away covering his face.

When he looked back the creature was gone and there was a shimmering aura around Kairi. Her chest heaved and her eyes flew open, she sat up coughing. Riku rushed to her side. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

Kairi took a deep breath of air and looked at Riku. "Yeah I think so" she said hoarsely and got to her feet. Kairi surveyed the rest of the group, she swallowed. Both Lutian and King Mickey were gone.

Sora was falling again, falling back into that fathomless void. But he did not fall this time with a heavy heart. No his heart was light, and he was smiling. Sora reached into his pocket and his fingers closed around the strange key chain.

"Life within death," he whispered "Light within darkness." His voice trailed off and he heard again that voice which had been with him all along.

The voice of his own heart, _"Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts._ _For the heart of light shall unseal the path. Seven hearts, one Keyhole, one key to the door. The door of darkness tied by two keys. The door of darkness to seal the light." _Sora's eyes flew open as he realized what he had to do.

Goofy and Donald didn't know what to do, except sit. Suddenly the outline of a keyhole lined with light appeared in front of them. They leapt to their feet weapons ready. Someone staggered out of the light, it was Sora.

"Sora!" Cried Donald and Goofy at once.

"Hey guys" Sora gave a weak grin. He shuddered and stood up strait. "I know what we have to do now" he said.

"You do? What?" Goofy asked curiously. Sora told them.

"You're going to do what?!" cried Donald in alarm. "Sora! You can't do that!"

Sora glared at his friend. "I have to, or things will go on as they always have."

"And why is that such a bad thing?" Donald asked.

Sora's eyes darkened, Donald took a step back. "Because if I don't do what has to be done. No one ever will, everything will just wither away and die. Darkness, light, all of it." Donald dropped his gaze when he saw that Sora was shaking. The duck hadn't thought about what it meant for Sora to give up what he intended to.

"So where do we go?" Sora opened his mouth to answer, but Goofy interrupted him with a shout.

"Guys we got company!" Sora and Donald whirled around. There was a group of weird creatures running toward them. They wiggled and stretched as they moved. Donald drew his Mage's staff, Goofy his Knight's Sheild. Sora's hands were empty, for he no longer had the Keyblade. With an expression of grim determination they attacked. Sora had only magic to use he used it lightly. But to no avail the creatures were strong! Donald went down, and Goofy shortly after. Sora was thrown backward, landing hard on the stone. The silver things circled the three of them wobbling and flipping.

High above unnoticed by all, stood a black-coated figure. He had watched the battle through narrowed eyes. The creatures jerked and lunged for Sora and his friends. But something came hurtling down out of nowhere and made quick work of creatures. Sora's eyes widened he leaned forward mouth agape in surprise. Donald and Goofy made startled noises behind him and they jumped on Sora's back to get a better look.

"Your Majesty!" they cried.

Mickey turned to face them, his Keyblade glinting. "Donald I thought I told you to stick with the Key Bearer!" Mickey growled.

"But we did!" Donald protested. "Sora's a Key Bearer!"

"He is not the true Bearer, and you had a chance to stay with the one who is! Riku, why didn't you stay with him?"

Donald looked at the ground sheepishly, but Goofy said defiantly. "We stayed with the one who had the heart to wield a Keyblade. And the Keyblade went back to him, didn't it?"

"No it didn't" Sora and Mickey said at the same time. They glanced at each other, and Mickey sighed.

"I'm sorry Sora, just things aren't actin' the way they're supposed to. I got myself in deeper than I wanted to."

"Join the club" Sora muttered. Mickey grinned. "I know how to stop this now, but I think we'll have to go through Ansem to do it." Sora said quietly.

Mickey shuddered "Are you sure?" Sora nodded. "Very well then. What do we have to do?"

Kairi was sitting on one of the rocks that littered the beach. A small breeze toyed with her long red brown hair. Her eyes fixed on the ocean, reflected the moon light. There were no clouds to cover the sky this night.

Kairi didn't turn when she heard footsteps behind her. Riku stood at her side as he too gazed out across the ocean.

"Seeing other worlds isn't like we imagined it would be is it?" She asked, her voice sounded a little thin.

Riku shook his head. "No, I never imagined it would cause so much pain." He looked at the ground remembering what he'd done two years before.

Kairi's eyes fogged over as an old memory came to her. _She was little, about the time she'd just come to the islands. This had been on one of the days when Riku hadn't been around and she and Sora were bored. She scrambled over a dune, a wooden sword clutched in her hand._

_Sora was standing by a palm tree. A sack with a scribbled face on it was tied to the tree. "What took you so long Kairi?" Sora demanded. He went over to her, hefting his own wooden sword over his shoulder. "Can we do it? Against that?" His eyes were glittering excitedly._

_Kairi lifted her sword. "Together, we can do it together"_

Kairi shook her head, trying to clear it of that painful memory. "Do you think things will ever be the way they were?" She asked Riku hugging her knees.

Riku shook his head, "I don't know" he replied. Suddenly they both felt a tug at their hearts. They looked at each other in alarm.

"Sora" Kiari said quietly. There was a moment of silence, then they both ran.

Caliga felt a great shift in the worlds boundaries. "Lycole! We're shifting!" He shouted jumping to his feet.

Lycole had seen Kairi and Riku run. "Come on" he yelled. "We have to go after them!"

Kevaul gripped his arm. "You know what this is" he hissed, "If we go anywhere, we'll go together"

Lycole nodded. "Yes, we'll go together."

Terra came running down the stairs, followed by Leon and Yuffie. "Come on" she growled and the six of them ran after Kairi and Riku.

Kairi and Riku were running blindly toward a portal. They were aware instantly when they passed through it, because they suddenly found themselves on the Destiny Islands. In front of them towered the door to Kingdom Hearts. Standing at the foot of it, his back turned to them, was Sora.

A storm was wildly raging, cracks of lightning split the air. But strangely there was no rain. "Sora" Kairi cried out she waved her hand. But it stopped in mid-air. They were behind a barrier of some sort. "Sora!" she screamed louder.

Riku had gone all tingly, the hairs on the back of his neck had risen. He gripped the Keyblade hard. Sora turned around, there were tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Kairi but I have to do this. I have to take this path because no one else can see it!" Kairi mouthed openly at him.

"What's he doing?" Riku asked quietly as Kairi lowered her hand.

Kairi swallowed then whispered. "He's walking the third path."


	9. Fall of Kingdom Hearts

**Part Nine: The Fall of Kingdom Hearts **

Lycole, Caliga, Terra, Kevaul, Leon, and Yuffie burst through the portal in time to hear Riku shout.

"Sora you're the Key Bearer you can't go!" Riku bellowed at his friend.

Sora turned his gaze on Riku. "But you see, I'm not the Key Bearer, you are. You showed me that at Hollow Bastion."

"But the Keyblade went back to you!" Riku protested.

Sora shook his head. "No it didn't, my heart forged a third Keyblade. Your Keyblade has now been returned to you." Riku looked down at the Kingdom Key. "That blade came to me by accident. You see there is nothing in my heart that makes up a Keyblade Wielder, I was simply in the right place to receive yours."

"Sora!" Kairi cried, "what are you going to do?"

"I am going to make that choice that was foretold to me in a dream. And yes this choice will cost something very dear to me." He looked at Kairi his eyes shining, "my chances of returning to Destiny Isles again." Kairi gasped and put her hands over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. "I am going to destroy the barrier between Kingdom Hearts and the rest of the worlds." He turned back to the great towering doors. "For Kingdom Hearts is not light or darkness, but both. A true light, life itself. The world has forgotten that."

"But what will that do?" Mickey asked. The others jumped, they hadn't noticed the king, Donald and Goofy standing to the side.

"Light and darkness will become one, in harmony with each other. The worlds will be bound together as one, as they were in the beginning. There will be no boundaries between worlds or people."

"What you speak of sounds like paradise" Lycole said softly.

"That's just it" Sora said turning again. "That is the paradise that Ansem is seeking. Though all he is doing is destroying it."

Sora turned to face the doors again, one last time. "Seven hearts are behind this door, Lycole, Terra, Caliga, Kevaul, Leon, Yuffie, Mickey. You can feel them can't you?" Those he had spoken to nodded.

"I will go in and lock the Keyhole that spawns the Heartless. Then I will unseal the door to the light. I hope with all my heart that in doing that will awaken the true light. For that is our only hope. Riku you and the king must seal the doors behind me."

"No!" Riku shouted. "Sora I can't do that"

"You must" Mickey said quietly. "If you want his sacrifice to make a difference. Remember I told you there is a third Keyblade. Mine came from the World of light, yours from the World of Darkness. His came from the World Bewtween. Change Riku, change is the third key." He looked at Riku darkly for a moment then looked back at the doors to Kingdom Hearts.

"Alright" he whispered. The others bowed their heads.

Sora took a deep breath and reached out. His palm glowed for a moment then a third Keyblade appeared there. The key chain that hung from the hilt was the one of the hawk that he had gotten so long ago. The Keyblade was doubled edged and looked almost exactly like the Ultima Weapon.

Sora felt some comfort with it in his hand. Sora closed his eyes and pushed at the doors with all his heart. They creaked open slowly, Kingdom Hearts looked just as it had before, teeming with heartless.

Sora stepped carefully through the door. The Keyhole appeared in front of him, resigned he raised the Keyblade.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that boy!" snarled a voice behind him. Something hit Sora so hard that it made him fly several feet. Ansem stood there his one eye glinting with insanity, his teeth bared in an evil grin.

Sora barely saw Ansem, he raised the Keyblade again. A beam of dark light, intertwined with white, shot out of the blade. It struck the Keyhole and locked it.

Ansem snarled in rage, he half ran half fell to Sora and lifted him off the ground. "You little fool!" Ansem spat. "Let's see if your precious light can survive this!" And he threw Sora into a pool of molten darkness.

With shaking hands Ansem reached up and unwound the cloth around his face. It fell away to reveal that he was horribly disfigured. "Your light did this to me," he hissed, "you did this to me" Ansem began to cackle. But then he let out a strangled cry as something pierced through his back. With a somewhat surprised manner he watched as the blade of Oathkeeper sprouted out of his chest.

Kairi tore the Keyblade free as Ansem turned. "Your Highness? But why?" he gasped.

Kairi looked at him with cold eyes. "Because you are not the person you used to be. I will not allow you to destroy all that gives life and happiness."

"But how? Only shadows can pass through the door" Ansem looked at her as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"I am nothing but a shadow without Sora" She drew in a sharp breath and tears streamed down her face. She looked up to the far reached of Kingdom Hearts and whispered. "Together, we'll do it together." A small spark of light floated out of her chest and spiraled away into the darkness of Kingdom Hearts. She turned then and left Ansem to die in the midst of his insanity.

Suddenly a great beam of light rose out of the pool of darkness where Ansem had thrown Sora. His body rose out of it, beams of light were streaming away from his heart.

"He could never have been more wrong about his heart" Mickey breathed.

"The true light was within his heart all along." Lycole murmured.

Sora turned his head to gaze at Riku and Mickey, he gave the smallest little nod. Arms shaking Riku raised the Keyblade, Mickey did the same. "I'm sorry, sorry for everything." Riku whispered. A beam of darkness shot out of his Keyblade, a beam of light from Mickey's. They connected in mid-air and twined to together in a great beam, and struck the opening to Kingdom Hearts. The door began to dissolve. The last they saw of Sora's face, he was smiling.

Curtains of red, green, and blue light, erupted in the sky. Lycole, Terra, Kevaul, Caliga, Mickey, Leon, and Yuffie all gasped as they felt their hearts reborn within them. The appearances of Terra, Caliga, and Lycole changed as their bodies returned to them as well.

The storm had ceased all together, and everything was calm and quiet. No one said anything for a moment.

Then the ghost of Sora's voice floated through all their minds. _"All I ask is that you not forget." _

"Never" they all breathed.

Cloud and Aerith were talking quietly as a few moments before, the bodies of the strangers had disappeared. They didn't know what to make of it. Suddenly they heard groans from the other side of the room as Leon and Yuffie stirred.

"Are you guys alright?" Aerith said helping Yuffie to sit up.

"Do me a favor," Yuffie said quietly. "Look outside and tell me what you see."

Aerith did so. "Oh" she breathed, "it's like there are curtains of light hanging in the sky."

Yuffie and Leon glanced at each other then both bowed their heads.

Kairi and Riku stood on the dock of the Destiny Isles. It was daylight now, Donald, Goofy, and the Mickey had left a few hours before. In a new ship they had christened 'Kearal'. which meant true light. Caliga, Lycole, Terra, and Kevaul had gone with them to see if Donald could locate Twilight Town.

A small wind brushed blew passed them, caressing their faces. They were both thinking about Sora. Kairi gazed up at the sky and without really thinking she started to sing. The wind harmonized with her voice, carrying it up and throughout the newly united world.

At every place within the world silence fell. Birds ceased in their song, wolves cut off their howls. In every place, everyone heard the song. It sounded like nonsense words to most, but those who did understand it bowed their heads. The song echoed through the deepest forests, and rang through the depths of the oceans.

The Queen of Hearts looked up from her throne, she didn't understand the words. But for a moment, her stone cold heart warmed. Alice looked up at the sky with tears in her eyes.

The song echoed in the depths of the Cavern of Hearts deep in the jungle, Tarzan heard it, as did Jane. They both looked down sadly.

Hercules looked up from cleaning his sword, and Phil paused in his rant about being soft.

"Gotta hand it to the kid" Phil said quietly, "he's a true hero now, if not before."

Aladdin and Jasmine felt the song ring across the desert. Their hands clasped tightly as the remembered, and Genie sniffed loudly.

Ariel looked up from her grotto, she swam to the trident shaped crystal embedded in the wall. Carefully she ran her fingers along it, the sparkling crystal seemed to have dimmed slightly.

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell halted in their flight across Neverland. The moon glinted on the water below. They remembered, and wouldn't forget.

Jack looked up from his plans for Heartless Halloween, and stood up. He gazed down at the plans and let them fall from his fingers. The Heartless didn't deserve to be the theme of Halloween.

Everyone from Hollow Bastion felt the song, they all stopped what they were doing and listened.

It reached Twilight Town, and Caliga, Terra, Lycole, and Kevaul heard it. They simultaneously raised four glass marbles, fire glittered in their depths.

The song reached the Disney Castle last. The king and queen reunited, looked up from the balcony of their castle. Minnie felt the great sadness of the song, but she didn't understand the words. Mickey did though, he watched the sky sadly. As did Donald and Goofy in the gardens below.

Finally Kairi stopped singing. The wind settled down around her and Riku, sighing.

Riku looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure he would've been grateful for that Kairi."

Kairi blushed, and looked down. "yes I hope he would've liked it" Tears filled her eyes and ran in thick streams down her cheeks.

Lycole was sitting on the ledge of one of the highest buildings in Twilight Town. He still had the dark coat that had marked him as a member of the Thirteenth Order. His hair had changed back from white blond to its natural gold blonde. He sighed as he watched his old home, everything had come back, his memories and feelings. It was wonderful this new world, and he loved it. He remembered suddenly something Lutian had said. 'I am a shadow of the being Sora will become' Lycole grinned, the being Sora would become indeed.


End file.
